NEWBERRY, S.C. — Newberry County officials say they've now opened a shelter for those affected by Tropical Storm Helene's destruction.
The shelter is located at Newberry High School which is located 3113 Main Street in Newberry.
Officials said the facility is air-conditioned. The county said they currently can't accommodate anyone with special medical needs and pets are also not allowed.
There is also a limited ability to charge devices. The City of Newberry, however, has a charging station set up at the Edward Kyzer Newberry Firehouse Conference Center at 1227 McKibben Street. It was set to close at 9 p.m. Saturday but will reopen Sunday, September 29 at 10 a.m.
Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster has said he has never seen damage like the one left behind by Helene in his 35 years as sheriff of the county. He said the impacts were widespread throughout the county and it would take a while for things to get better.
"It's the first time we've ever seen a storm this widespread, that has done this much damage," Foster told News19 Saturday. "The closest thing I can remember is the ice storm that we had, that took out most of our utilities all over the county, but this is much more severe than that."
Trees fell on multiple houses, forcing people to seek shelter elsewhere. The power outages are extremely high, with only a limited number of areas with restored service, mainly in downtown Newbery.